Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buford, GA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Buford, GA: $2,294 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Buford, GA
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Buford, GA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Buford, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,294

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buford, GA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buford, GA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,294 in Buford, GA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Buford, GA $2,294
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,449 in Buford, GA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Buford, GA $3,449
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,603 in Buford, GA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Buford, GA $4,603
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Buford, GA costs roughly 24% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buford, GA 69% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.20 $25.20

$20.71 $20.71

21.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 $59.2

$89.2 $89.2

-33.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 $5.90

$13.19 $13.19

-55.27%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$5.66 $5.66

-6.36%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.64 $2.64

-26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.28 $2.28

-28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$6.87 $6.87

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$8.84 $8.84

-33.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.25 $1.25

-36.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.72 $3.72

-5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.39 $5.39

-42.86%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$4.74 $4.74

-15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$13.84 $13.84

-59.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 $9.60

$14.40 $14.40

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$18.38 $18.38

-37.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.22 $5.22

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.98 $1.98

-37.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.06 $4.06

-49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.97 $4.97

-27.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.67 $2.67

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.66 $2.66

1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.24 $2.24

-1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.13 $3.13

-49.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$13.82 $13.82

-26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$14.88 $14.88

-26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.54 $2.54

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.51 $3.51

-58.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.43 $2.43

52.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.20 $1.20

-36.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$70.7K $70.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

101.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.11%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$203 $203

$194 $194

4.34%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.95 $24.95

$69.5 $69.5

-64.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$61.6 $61.6

33.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 $44.33

$47.90 $47.90

-7.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.08 $35.08

$27.34 $27.34

28.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$17.81 $17.81

-28.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$1,794 $1,794

-37.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 $45.53

$67.0 $67.0

-32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 $35.24

$52.1 $52.1

-32.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 $76.4

$102 $102

-24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 $97.1

$144 $144

-32.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 $1,450

$2,526 $2,526

-42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 $1,152

$1,578 $1,578

-27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,390 $2,390

$4,738 $4,738

-49.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,693 $2,693

-21.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,364 $3,364

$4,931 $4,931

-31.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

6.81

-8.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Buford, GA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buford, GA

$1.2K 50.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 37% $426

Eating Out

Buford, GA

$335 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buford, GA

$310 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Buford, GA

$299 13%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 49.9% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Buford, GA

$114 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 43.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Buford, GA

$70 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 19.5% $14

Getting Around

Buford, GA

$15 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 530% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,450 in Buford, GA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Buford, GA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $447 per month, with Buford, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Buford, GA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

1 h behind Buford, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,868

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buford, GA Chicago, IL 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Buford, GA
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Buford, GA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,294 in Buford, GA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Buford, GA is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Buford, GA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,450 in Buford, GA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,294 per month in Buford, GA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Buford, GA is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,294 in Buford, GA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buford, GA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Buford, GA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Buford, GA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.